When it comes to designing an engagement ring, couples want to create a timeless ring that mirrors their unique style and personality. It's exciting to see people exploring their creativity and incorporating their own flavour into something they'll cherish forever. From fancy cuts and mixed precious metals, the options for a one-of-a-kind design are endless. Here are my predictions for the hottest jewellery trends that will continue to inspire in 2016

By minimizing the number of times your diamond changes hands, you'll be certain you're getting the best quality product that your budget can afford. What you'll end up with is a top quality diamond without the middleman markup.

If you knew that [Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front] were coming, or if you even heard a rumour that the RUF were on their way, knowing that they cut the hands and feet off babies, you wouldn't hang around very long. And it worked -- it was very successful. It helped them clear the diamond fields, and they could dig diamonds to their heart's content. There are 1.5-million artisanal diamond diggers in Africa -- they produce about 16 per cent of the world's diamonds. So there's a good chance that 16 per cent of the diamonds in any store are part of that problem.